As Malcolm Gladwell discusses in his bestseller, “Outliers,” it takes approximately 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert. While this book and Gladwell’s theory was not without its controversy, the spirit of the idea is fundamentally sound: “practice (to a certain extent) makes perfect.”

While much of Gladwell’s discussion circles around professional athletes, composers, artists, and other famous individuals, I think the same principles can be applied to our profession. The more we practice, gain new knowledge and skills, while reinforcing and strengthening existing expertise, the higher levels of excellence we can achieve.

To do this, we as Marketers need to constantly develop and refine our skills. Much of this can be accomplished on our “down time.” My advice is to read blogs, books, and whatever you can get your hands on. Stay on top of trends and technology, and think about how they affect your company and industry.

Here are a sample of blogs, books, and websites that I use to stay sharp: